Can you explain lunar and solar eclipses?

Answer 1

• A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, blocking sunlight from Earth.
• A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon.

Answer 2

The earth, moon and sun take turns blocking each others' views' of the other one. Sometimes the moon blocks the sun. Purely coincidentally it has almost the same angular size in the sky as the sun. So the eclipses are rather spectacular and short lived.

Sometimes the moon moves into the earth's shadow causing it to become very dark for a while. It doesn't disappear entirely, but you can definitely tell it is in a shadow. These eclipses last longer because the angular diameter of the moon is much smaller than the earth's shadow.

Incidentally, the earth also causes solar eclipses on the moon. Whenever there is a lunar eclipse here on earth, there is a corresponding solar eclipse on the moon as the earth appears to cross in front of the sun from the point of view of someone on the moon.

Answer 3

A solar eclipse is when the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun such that the Moon covers all or part of the solar disk, and causes a shadow on certain parts of the Earth.

A lunar eclipse is when the Moon is directly behind the Earth such that the Moon is in the Earth's shadow.

Answer 4

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun. This can only be seen by those who are viewing it from beneath the penumbra and umbra, which are the shadows created by the moon passing in front of the sun. Those who view it from beneath the "umbra" are seeing what we call a Total eclipse, and those whom view it from beneath only the "penumbra" are seeing what we call a partial eclipse. Those outside of both, do not see the eclipse at all.

A lunar eclipse occurs, when the Earth itself passes over the moon and blocks the light from the sun from reaching it. We only see the moon because of the light reflected off of it by the sun. When the Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun, the Earth's shadow blocks the sun's light causing the moon to be eclipsed by the Earth and thus hiding the moon from view.

Answer 5

In a solar eclipse, the Moon's shadow falls on the Earth. In a lunar eclipse, the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon.